https://www.esv.org/Nehemiah+2/
And so, Nehemiah goes into the presence of the King and asks him to give him favour and send him back to the city where his ancestors are buried to rebuild it.
Nehemiah understands that the task at hand will not only require resources but also favour in the form of protection by neighbouring governors. For this reason he asks for written instruments.
Upon his arrival He begins with an inspection of the walls and the gates and here is where we begin to see why these things were written down for our instruction.
He witnesses the destruction that comes when the entry and exit points to the city are not sufficiently guarded and as a result the enemy came in, the walls were broken down, and the city was overrun.
Could it be that this picture describes me? And is it perhaps because the entry and exits points to my life, my very being (heart) from which flows all the issues of my life, has not been sufficiently guarded? Maybe I have allowed things in carelessly, believing they would satisfy. Or maybe I have not guarded the exit point of my mouth, believing that by my words I could manipulate and control, leaving a trail of relational destruction behind me.
Where does my hope and my help for restoration come from?
Nehemiah is confident that the God of heaven will give him success.
Much later another restorer would come. He would willingly throw open the gates only for destruction to rush in. He did this willingly so that In Him, those who trust in Him, would have citizenship, an historic right (when He was raised in history we were raised) and a claim to a restored heavenly city.
Let these truths motivate and inspire us. Just as Nehemiah needed written instruments to give him the resources and favour he needed to restore the city, let us turn to the written Word to inspire, guide and help us
Allow the willingness with which Jesus opened the gates of His life for us, motivate us to diligently guard the entry and exit points of our lives.
Let us rejoice daily in the Heavenly citizenship he has already obtained for us, to the praise of His Glory!